


What Can Be

by EmeryldLuk



Series: Lily/Phoebe [7]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, Flufftober2019, Girls Being Girls, Shy, Shyness, Social Status, bathhouse, wet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 11:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20947778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeryldLuk/pseuds/EmeryldLuk
Summary: Her first days at Camp Half-blood, and Phoebe isn't sure how to approach Lilianah





	What Can Be

“Hey, Have you seen Lilianah?” Phoebe asked. She ducked her head when the cute red haired boy looked up with his quill still between his teeth. His eyes were the same color as a mouse.

“Huh?”

“Have you-”

“She went to the bath house with the kids.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

“No problem.” he looked back down at the letter he was trying to write.

Phoebe moved away from the arch. A brazier burned with the embers of the night’s fuel a few feet in front of the opening. All the temples were the same, but this one smelled like oils and ink in the same way the Dionysus temple smelled like wine. Perhaps it was because so many of the Hermes’ temple loved to write.

It had been a year since her disaster of a wedding; a year and five days to be exact, but who was counting. She still could barely wield a sword, and couldn’t use magic for anything but party tricks, but no one made fun of her for it. Even so, she felt useless every time she watched Lilianah sparring with the others. Like she’d never be able to stand in the same ring with her.

Phoebe forced out a smile and strode to the bathhouse.

Steam puffed out of the chimney of the white marble building. Phoebe entered the door marked for women, stepping into the small changing room littered with children’s clothes.

“Lilianah?” She stepped over a discarded chiton and into the humid bathing room. Hot water filled three of the marble lined baths. One squealing, brown-haired, dark skinned, eight year old girl not wearing any clothes ran over to Phoebe and hid behind her.

“Eirin, get back over here!” Was the stressed demand from a dripping Lilianah, who still held a brunette toddler in her arms.

Eirin stuck her tongue out at Lilianah. “Don Wanna.”

“You know perfectly well everyone takes a bath once a week. Either do it now or no dinner tonight.”

“Meanie.” Eirin stuck her tongue out a second time.

Phoebe couldn’t help but grin. “Is this a bad time?”

“Only if you’re not here to help me. What was your name again?” Lilianah sounded tired.

“Phoebe.”

“Right. Sorry, I should have remembered that.”

Phoebe took Eirin’s hand and led her back to the waiting water. “It’s not so bad if you play around while you wash.”

“But it makes my skin all wrinkly!”

“Only for a little bit. After, your skin will be all nice and shiny and you’ll smell amazing. Come on. We all have to do it.”

Eirin scowled at the bath and the water shifted away from her.

“Eirin, quit that and get in before I dunk you in,” Lilianah snapped.

“No!”

Lilianah got up from her knees and padded over to them. Eirin screamed and ran away.

“Hold Lysa for me?”

Phoebe took the toddler. “Is it always like this?”

“To some degree. Eirin, this is not funny.” Lilianah chased the dark skinned girl around the bath house for a few minutes until she got her arms around the child and carried her back to the bath.

Eirin fell into the water with a splash. She scowled, pushing a wave up and over the two older girls.

Phoebe yelped as water soaked into her clothes. She turned, shielding Lysa. Lilianah took the show of power in stride, stepping down into the bath.

“How come you’re taking care of a child of Poseidon?” Phoebe asked.

Lilianah fought with Eirin temporarily over washing out her hair. “Eirin is unclaimed. And don’t automatically assume it was Poseidon. Her godly parent was a woman.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“I hate you,” Eirin muttered, having given up on protesting.

“So you always say. Now scrub. I still need to wash Lysa.” Lilianah climbed back out and squeezed water out of her hair. “Thank you, Phoebe.”

“No problem. Seems like a bit of a hassle for one person.” Phoebe passed Lysa back into Lilianah’s arms.

“Oh, I’m used to it. I’m the oldest, so I take care of the youngest. Otis does the same with the boys. Did you actually come to help, or did you have a question?”

Phoebe blushed. “Sorry. I wanted to thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t know about my father, or about my siblings.”

“Oh,” Lilianah folded her arms around Lysa. “You really shouldn’t have. You would have gotten here eventually, I’m sure.”

“I doubt it,” Phoebe said. “I would have been married to a monster and killed soon enough. Or simply locked away. Upper class women don’t get to do much on their own.” 

“But you’re the child of a God. Doesn’t that make a difference?”

“Maybe. But i don’t think it would have been a good one.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know much about the upper class. And I am glad you are here.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Lilianah sat with her legs in the bath water, holding Lysa in her lap.

Phoebe hesitated to leave. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Who were your parents? I mean, if you aren’t part of the upper class, where did you live?”

“I was the daughter of a fisherman, in a small fishing village. But my father wasn’t my father really. I was a nobody, going blind, being prepped to be a token fisherman’s wife.”

Lysa giggled when Lilianah wiped down her arms.

“That sounds depressing.”

“That’s just how it is. Can’t be that different to how you grew up.”

“Well, I mean, I wasn’t just a future wife. I was going to be a political figure, even if it would have been in the shadows.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re here, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Phoebe trailed off, feeling awkward. “I better go. Good luck.”


End file.
